Are HR professionals conducting enough checks on applicants' CVs?

12 Sep 2016 • by Changeboard Team

Almost 100,000 UK workers have lied on their CV in the past three years in an attempt to secure a job.

This estimated figure is based on a survey conducted by AXELOS, which revealed that 14% of HR professionals said they have dealt with at least five incidences of employees not holding the qualifications they claimed.

The study also found that almost half (48%) of UK-based HR professionals do not always check that an applicant’s qualifications.

John O’Brien, head of membership at AXELOS, said: “In an increasingly competitive job market, there are clearly many people who are willing to exaggerate or lie to win that much sought-after role. So it’s hard to believe so many organisations do not routinely check the qualifications of job applicants.”

Misleading your new employer could hold serious implications, as 37% of respondents said they would dismiss an employee if they discovered qualification results had been exaggerated. Over half (54%), would fire an applicant that told outright lies on their CV.

53% said that poor performance was the biggest risk to their businesses when employing under-qualified staff, with reputational impact also a factor (26%).

Companies also face significant losses in replacing employees, as 40% have spent more than £10,000 replacing staff after employing under-qualified applicants. Almost a tenth of respondents (9%) had spent more than £40,000.

O’Brien commented: “Lies can quickly get out of hand – it can soon become apparent that the individual is having difficulty meeting the expectations set out in the new position. While the employee could face their contract being terminated, the employer has a lot to lose, both financially and in terms of its reputation.”